The National Curriculum Council on Thursday decided to establish sub-committees under the council to focus on quality textbooks, teachers, and assessment reforms, as it expressed resolve for efficient inter-provincial coordination on the implementation of the curriculum.

A meeting of the National Curriculum Council which formally approved the curriculum for classes 9 to 12 was chaired by Education Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain.

The minister lauded the council for what he said `upholding the cause of quality education for all children of the nation by championing international standards in curriculumreforms`.

Rana Tanveer Hussain said that integration of the study of the Constitution of Pakistan and coding in the curriculum would not only inform students of their rights and responsibilities but also equip them with important technological skills.

Mr Hussain said that the development of the National Curriculum of Pakistan was a nationwide collaborative process, with each province actively involved and their feedback gathered and incorporated through a comprehensive process. He commended NCC Secretariat Director Dr Mariam Chughtai and her team for their hard work in achieving this milestone.

The meeting was called to discuss the recent agreement of provincial experts on NationalCurriculum standards for grades 9-12. For the first time in the country`s history, a core curriculum from grades 1-12 and early years has been signed off by subject experts from all provinces.

In respect of the 18th Amendment, standards for grades 9-12 will go through provincial review and formal legal approval before being notified at their respective provincial levels.

The council members deliberated on various aspects of the standards in the National Curriculum and offered their valuable suggestions. They also engaged in an extensive discussion on bringing the curriculum to the implementation stage and propelling this nationwide project to new heights.

The council resolved that thesigned-off documents of the National Curriculum of Pakistan will be shared with provinces for their review and approvalas per their provincial laws and legal procedures.

Also, a closing ceremony was arranged where provincial curriculum department heads and provincial/area focal persons for curriculum reforms were presented with shields as a token of appreciation for their contribution towards `quality education for all`.

In his concluding remarks, the chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology, Dr Qibla Ayaz, applauded the tireless efforts of all stakeholders in the development of the National Curriculum of Pakistan, noting that this achievement would benefit the country for generations to come.